Question regarding ECs

Hello there!

Let me start with providing you with some background. My school system imo is tough and completely kills (at least in my case) any EC opportunities, that is: from the very first years of high school education teachers say that you have to work hard in classes to go to university. Later on, only things that matter are test scores which can guarantee you a place in desired uni. So basically there’s nothing like EC, and grades are often neglected by many.

Yet here I am, working against that system. I try to work as hard as possible to get decent grades even though it is reasonably hard and many people don’t care about them. With this I also prepare for SAT and TOEFL. And I try to do something outside classroom. But I simply have no time (commuting is 2hrs + studying for those hard classes is rest of a day) and no idea, because getting involved is relatively new concept for me.

In my first year I was involved in choir for about 5 months. Currently I am in second year and I am in “physics club” and sometimes I do free tutoring. But that’s it.

Now my dreams of studying in US faced cruel reality of this stupid country’s system.

What can I do rn if I have approximately one whole year left till deadlines? Is a road to, let’s say, Northwestern University (my absolute dream school) or some less competitive schools already closed?

I am so looking forward to all replies! (And sorry for the length ;) )